Structural engineering for two-storey extensions in Dundee and Angus

Dundee and Angus at a glance

Nation: Scotland
Price region: Scotland
Postcode areas: DD
Towns covered: 8 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a structural design involves

This service suits every two-storey extension, because each one needs foundations sized for two storeys and usually steel beams where walls are removed. You get a structural engineer's calculations and drawings for beams, padstones, lintels, foundations and connections, coordinated with the architectural drawings, submitted for building standards and followed through on site by our build teams.

Across Dundee and Angus we cover Dundee (DD1), Arbroath (DD11), Forfar (DD8), Carnoustie (DD7), Monifieth (DD5) and Brechin (DD9), plus the smaller places around them.

Fees

A structural engineer (calculations and beam design) is a guide of £750–£2,200, priced in writing once the design is known.

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, structural calculations form part of the building warrant application, assessed against the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks rather than Approved Documents. The council's building standards service must grant the warrant before any structural work starts, and a completion certificate is submitted when the work is finished.

Approval in Scotland: Householder planning application: £371. Councils have two months to decide a local planning application.

Building standards: A building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end. Scotland uses its own Technical Handbooks.

There is no Party Wall Act in Scotland. Shared walls and boundaries are governed by title deeds and common law, so we speak to neighbours early and record the condition of shared structures.

Getting the design right

Tying into the house

The new walls and floors are tied into the existing house with wall ties, restraint straps and joist hangers. The engineer also considers movement between the old and new foundations and where a movement joint may be needed.

Beams and padstones

Steel beams carry the first floor and roof over openings, and they sit on padstones that spread the load into the walls. The engineer sizes each beam and checks the walls can take the point loads, which affects ceiling heights and where posts can go.

How we work in Dundee and Angus

Free site visit
We visit your home in Dundee and Angus, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.
Drawings, then consent
We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in Scotland, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Fixed price in writing
With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.
On site
One project lead runs the job, keeps you updated and arranges inspections at each stage until completion.

Towns we cover in Dundee and Angus

Structural engineering for two-storey extensions in Dundee and Angus: questions

Can a steel beam be hidden in the ceiling?

Often, yes. A beam can sit within the floor depth so the ceiling is flat, but that may mean a deeper steel section or a different floor structure. Otherwise it shows as a downstand below the ceiling. We discuss the options with you and the engineer before the design is fixed.

How deep do foundations need to be for a two-storey extension?

There is no single depth. It depends on the soil, nearby trees, drains and the loads. On firm ground foundations may be around a metre deep, while clay near trees can need much deeper trench fill or piles. Trial holes and the engineer's design set the depth, and building standards inspects the trenches.

Do I need a structural engineer for a two-storey extension?

Almost always. Building standards needs calculations showing that the foundations, beams and walls can carry the loads of two storeys and a roof. A two-storey extension usually involves removing part of an outside wall and new steel, which needs an engineer's design.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in Dundee and Angus · About structural engineering for two-storey extensions